One of food media’s most cherished tropes is “grilling season.” 

This is, presumably, the season when the weather starts to warm, and readers liberate their grills from the depths of cold winter storage to fire them up en masse. We start seeing these articles in mid-April, though sometimes a bit earlier, depending on when the news gap after Easter and Passover falls. It usually begins with annual grill reviews and tips on, say, best barbecue sauces, then moves on to recipes for “unusual” things to grill (have you ever grilled a vegetable!? or a peach? you should!). By Memorial Day, there’s a full slate of stories about how to clean your grill and a shoutout to plant-based grilling options, and by the lead-up to July Fourth, we get features about safety, on the dangers of cooking with fire, and of undercooked meat.

At some point during this season, we’ll get the annual articles on what wines to pair with the food you grill. This is where we hear about how well barbecue pairs with California Zinfandel, or matching Argentine Malbec with steak.

For many of us who love grilling, the whole idea of “grilling season” feels a little imaginary. It presumes a readership consisting only of those in northern climes where winter temperatures hypothetically discourage grilling. Moreover, committed grillers do not pay too much attention to the weather. I’ll grill in a snowstorm if the spirit moves me. At The New Wine Review, we take both grilling and wine seriously regardless of the season. But what follows is our first ever Wine Guide For Grilling Season, in which I’ll suggest two wines for each category of grilled meat.

Pork

Usually the rote, one-size-fits-all advice for grilled pork is Zinfandel. But given the alcohol levels of California Zin these days, I’m not so sure. I certainly don’t want a red wine with over 15 percent ABV clubbing my palate along with some spicy pork, on a warm sunny afternoon. (And if you do, that’s wonderful! You don’t even need to keep reading this section!)

Barbecued pork can be many things, but most importantly: Does your pork recipe lean more sweet or spicy?

If it’s more spicy or savory, I’d skip red altogether and go with something like a dry German Riesling, something from Rheinhessen or Pfalz. First of all, we will remind you: yes, Riesling can be dry. Look for the word trocken (dry) on the label. One Rheinhessen producer whose dry wines I love, Knewitz, is now newly imported into the U.S. The 2022 Knewitz Riesling Trocken ($20) is a thrilling balance of stone fruit, fresh herbs, and minerality, with electric acidity and crisp finish—and it’s a steal at under $20.

Now, I know a certain percentage of people will never follow my advice for German Riesling. That’s fine. For ride-or-die red-wine drinkers, I suggest a Syrah from the northern Rhône—especially if your barbecue pork recipe veers toward sweet and spice. One of my go-to northern Rhônes is 2020 Saint Cosme Crozes-Hermitage ($41), made from an ancient clone of Syrah called Serine. It may not have the pedigree of Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage, but this Saint Cosme punches above its weight at half the price. With its whirling flavors and aromas of smoked meat, black pepper, incense, and wild berry, this is a perfect way to upscale any barbecue.

Chicken

As with pork, there are endless grilled chicken variations, so we must talk in broad strokes. First, is your chicken recipe more herbal, or is it spicy? If it leans more herbal, pair it with one of the excellent Sancerre I recommended last week. Perhaps the racy and expressive 2022 Domaine Delaporte Chavignol Sancerre ($35) with notes of flowers and herbs, and an explosion of warm citrus, kiwi, and a smoky, chalky finish. Or perhaps the 2022 Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre ($40), a bright, pretty Sauvignon Blanc with a nose full of fresh tarragon and dill, waxy and flinty, with grapefruit, lime, and baking spice, with a salty finish. 

With a slightly spicier chicken recipe I’m going a little off the beaten path to recommend a very unique light-bodied red wine from Andalusia, by Raúl Moreno, a winemaker who I highlighted in my report on New Spain. This wine, 2022 Raúl Moreno Dark n’ Stormy ($41), is made from 100 percent Tintilla (a native grape related to Graciano). Served slightly chilled, it’s cool and mineral, meaty and savory, reminiscent of a light-bodied Loire Cabernet Franc.

Beef

“Steak” can take numerous forms, so let’s think in terms of thin cuts, like flank and skirt steak, and then thick, bone-in cuts, like ribeyes, porterhouse, and T-bone.

For skirt or flank, I always open my favorite Tuesday night wine: Cabernet Franc from Chinon in the Loire Valley. The savory grilled tomato, black olive, tobacco, and spice notes of Chinon are a perfect complement to the perfectly crusted, thin medium-rare steak. Try 2022 Bernard Baudry “Les Granges” Chinon or 2022 Olga Raffault “La Fraîch” Chinon. 

For something like a ribeye on the grill, splurge for a Barolo. But hey, it’s grilling season, and the vibe is not that fancy. So I’ll often opt for a young Langhe Nebbiolo. For $20 to $25, I’ll get something that’s got enough acidity and tannins to stand up to the fat of the steak, and the earthiness and edge to meld with the fleshy savoriness. Two standbys for me are Damilano "Marghe" Langhe Nebbiolo ($25), with a savory, herbal nose of fresh-cut flower stem, sage, dill, and a hint of rose, and juicy red fruit and silky tannins, or Vietti "Perbacco" Langhe Nebbiolo ($25), a classic “baby Barolo” with mint, violet, and dried rose on the nose; juicy cherry, racy acidity on the palate; and a long chalky finish.

Fish

There are many kinds of fish to grill. Let’s split them into oily fish, like salmon or mackerel, and white fish, such as halibut, flounder, or sea bass.

For oily fish, I love a full-bodied white wine like a White Rioja. You can’t go wrong with 2021 Conde de Valdemar Finca Alto Cantabria ($30), made from a single vineyard of 50-year-old vines of Viura, with aromas of wax, pear, and honeysuckle, and on the palate warm citrus notes, a lovely rainwater texture, and a chalky, salty finish. If you want something with a little more age (and a step up in price) you can’t do better than the classic López de Heredia Viña Gravonia ($45), with 2016 being the most recent release.

With a lighter, flakier white fish, I’m going off the beaten path again, and suggesting a zingy orange wine. For that, I’m going back to Andalusia to recommend another unique wine by Raúl Moreno: 2022 Raúl Moreno La Retahíla ($41). A skin-contact white, aged under flor (like fino sherry), it’s made from 100-year-old vines of Perruno, a lost grape of Andalusia, whose name means “dirty dog”. It drinks more like an aromatic white from Alsace or Germany, with complex peachy, nutty, and spicy notes.

Burgers & Hot Dogs

Once we get deeper into grilling season (i.e. summer), it’s best not to overthink things. Throw some burgers and dogs on the grill, and pop open a couple liters of something chilled and red. Everyone loves burgers, everyone loves a liter, and I have two excellent recommendations. 

Ercole Barbera del Monferrato, which I buy in my local store for around $15. It’s made by a small, independent co-op in Piedmont from 30- to 50-year-old Barbera vines (with most of the growers certified organic), and fermented and aged in concrete. This is the kind of wine that makes me think: If I don’t like this, do I really like drinking wine?

Ampeleia Unlitro, a Tuscan red from coastal Maremma that’s a rather non-Tuscan blend of Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese, and Alicante Bouschet, aged six months in cement. Bright, popping, a slight tingle of near effervescence, with tart cherry with an underlying earthiness, and a touch of natty in the very best way. It’s made on an estate owned by Elisabetta Foradori, one of Italy’s legendary low-intervention, biodynamic producers.